1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data memory system utilizing an adaptor for connecting a memory card, which is detachably insertable in a memory card slot of for example a digital electronic still camera for exchanging information signals with said digital electronic still camera, with a computer such as a work station or a personal computer.
2. Related Background Art
In the conventional apparatus for data writing into and/or data reading from a detachable memory medium such as a magnetic disk, a magnetooptical disk, a rigid disk or a semiconductor memory such as flash memory, EEPROM, SRAM or DRAM, each time the kind of memory medium is changed or a new memory medium is developed, it has been necessary to replace the memory medium control means (hereinafter called a driver) and the means for memorizing said driver (hereinafter called a driver storage element) provided in the above-mentioned apparatus with a driver capable of driving such new memory medium or to add a new driver storage element itself in the apparatus.
The technology of the recent card-shaped memory media (hereinafter called IC card) is being diversified, utilizing various memory media such as the magnetooptical disk, the rigid magnetic disk and semiconductor memories such as flash memory, and even includes IC cards not provided with means for controlling the memory elements within the memory medium itself. On the other hand, in equipment showing marked tendency of compactization, such as digital still cameras or notebook personal computers, it is considered essential to be equipped with not only an internal memory medium but also a detachable memory medium. Based on these two factors, the above-mentioned IC card not provided with control means for the memory elements is anticipated effective for further compactization of various equipment, such as those mentioned above.
However, in such equipment in the course of compactization, the selection of the memory medium is often influenced by the trend of development of memory media. Also, for adding new plural memory media to those in the equipment or for upgrading such memory media already used to new ones, it becomes necessary to increase the number of the driver storage elements provided in the equipment, and there is required a large space therefor. Consequently, such increase or upgrading of memory media is difficult in equipment requiring compactization, such digital still cameras and notebook-sized personal computers.
As explained in the foregoing, though the recent memory media can respectively provide various advantages, it has not been possible to select such recording media easily and inexpensively according to the application,or situation. Also it has been difficult to adapt promptly to improvements in performance or capacity of the memory medium when the form thereof is changed, and to maintain compatibility depending on the equipment employing such memory media.
Also, the connector of the memory card, constituting a memory medium, is based on standard specifications and can therefore be inserted into the memory card slots of most computers. However, such connector, not being designed in consideration of very frequent attachments and detachments of the memory card, has a very large number of connecting contacts and may therefore suffer from defective contact. Also such connector with a large number of contacts may lead to the destruction of the connector as it requires a large force in extraction from the memory card slot.
On the other hand, a memory card connector not based on standard specifications can be improved in mechanical strength by increase in size of the connecting contacts, as the number thereof can be decreased. However, such memory card connector, not based on the standard specifications, cannot be used by direct insertion into the memory card slot of computers. For this reason, for connecting such memory card to the computer, there is required an external device such as an exclusive memory card drive equipped with an external interface such as RS-232C or SCSI, and there inevitably results an increase in the total cost of the system.
In consideration of the foregoing, a first object of the present invention is to provide an adaptor for the memory card, enabling use of a memory card provided with a serial interface not based on the standard specifications, in the same manner as the memory card provided with a parallel interface based on the standard specifications, without the use of an external device such as an exclusive memory card drive.
The above-mentioned object can be attained, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by an adaptor comprising an adaptor main body detachably insertable into the memory card slot of an information equipment. A first connector which is provided on said adaptor main body, is based on the standard specifications and can be connected to the connector in said memory card slot. A mounting portion is provided on said adaptor main body and detachably receives a memory card that is detachably insertable in a memory card slot of an external equipment, different from said information equipment, for effecting exchange of information signals in serial data with said information equipment, while a second connector, which is provided in said mounting portion, is not based on the standard specifications and is adapted to be connected to a connector corresponding to the connector in the memory card slot of said external equipment, wherein said adaptor main body, with said memory card mounted on said mounting portion, is inserted into the memory card slot of said information equipment, thereby enabling the exchange of information signals in serial data between said information equipment and said memory card.
According to the above-mentioned embodiment, by inserting a memory card with a serial interface into the mounting portion of the adaptor main body and inserting said adaptor main body into the memory card slot of the information equipment, the information signals can be exchanged in serial data format between said information equipment and said memory card.
A second object of the invention of the present application is to enable the use of plural memory media in a single piece of equipment.
The third object of the invention of the present application is to enable a piece of equipment to adapt to a variation in the memory medium, without modification in the equipment itself.
The fourth object of the invention of the present application is to enable variation of the memory medium, within a limited space in a piece of equipment.
The fifth object of the invention of the present application is to maintain compatibility of the memory medium, by enabling access, in an equipment, to the data of a memory medium recorded in another piece of equipment.
The sixth object of the invention of the present application is, in the case of a change in the memory medium, to enable loading of the driver, memorized in a detachable memory medium, into a driver memory device.
The seventh object, of the invention of the present application is, in the case of a change in the memory medium, to enable loading of the driver, corresponding to a detachable memory medium, from the main body of the equipment into a driver storage element.
The eighth object of the invention of the present application is to minimize the number, to one at minimum, of the slots provided in the equipment.
The ninth object of the invention of the present application is to facilitate discrimination as to whether a detachable memory medium mounted on a piece of equipment can be handled by said equipment.
The tenth object of the invention of the present application is to facilitate identification of the content, application and property of a detachable memory medium mounted on a piece of equipment.
The eleventh object of the invention of the present application is to reduce the running cost, and the design and manufacturing costs of the equipment including the data storage device.
The foregoing objects can be attained, according to an embodiment of the present invention, by an adaptor provided with a slot capable of holding and electrically connecting with a detachable memory medium, and means for electrically engaging with a device for data write-in to and/or data read-out from said memory medium, wherein said adaptor comprises means (driver storage element) for memorizing means (driver) for controlling said detachable memory medium, and the memory medium control means memorized in said memory means is rewritable. Said adaptor further comprises a controller, including data memory means therein, for causing said driver, memorized in said driver storage element, to directly drive said memory medium.
In the above-mentioned configuration, said memory medium control means also contains, in addition to the basic means for such control, index data indicating the kinds of drivable memory media (for example semiconductor memory such as flash memory, EEPROM, SRAM or DRAM, magnetooptical aft disk, magnetic disk, rigid disk, etc.), applications (for example of recording medium and/or control means therefor), total capacity, used capacity (by the recording medium or the control means therefor), user""s area and associated properties.
It is also rendered possible to drive all the memory media mentioned above by mounting such media on said adaptor, without modification in the main equipment itself, by providing the driver storage element, conventionally provided in said equipment, in the detachable adaptor and varying the driver on said driver storage element. Also in this manner there can be maintained the compatibility of the memory media.
Also, in the case of a change of the driver in said driver storage element, by providing the driver with data representing the feature of the driver as the index data mentioned above, the equipment mounted with said adaptor is rendered capable of discriminating the memory media drivable by said driver, and also discriminating whether the driver storage element on said driver memorizes the driver. Furthermore, the equipment mounted with said adaptor is rendered capable of discriminating whether the memory medium, mounted on said adaptor, is drivable by said driver.
Furthermore, by clarifying the configuration of the internal uses by the index data and dividing the capacity as explained in the foregoing, it is rendered possible to displace the addresses in the memory medium in relative manner and to form the driver and the memory within the same memory medium.
By utilizing these features, it is made possible to load a driver, prepared for example in the software development for the equipment, from said equipment into the driver storage element of said adaptor, or to store said driver in the memory medium and to fetch into the driver storage element of said adaptor under the control from the equipment. In this manner the number of slots of the equipment can be minimized, even to as few as one, at minimum.
In an equipment of small package size such as a digital still camera or a notebook-sized personal computer, a memory medium not provided with means for controlling the memory elements thereof is effective for achieving compactization of the main body of said equipment, and there can also be conceived equipment capable of directly supporting such memory medium and enabling connection thereof. However, the above-explained adaptor enables the utilization of such memory medium not provided with the control means even with equipment previously produced. In addition, said adaptor allows, in the small-package equipment mentioned above, utilization of various memory media, without the limitation in the kinds of usable memory media without the control means.
Also, in a desk-top personal computer or a work station in which a larger space is available for expansion, it is rendered possible, by fitting the above-explained adaptor in an already available slot, to utilize the above-mentioned memory media of new type and to make access to the data prepared in other equipment.
Still other objects of the present invention, and the features thereof, will become fully apparent from the following description, which is to be taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.